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Introduction to Linux - A Hands on Guide

This guide was created as an overview of the Linux Operating System, geared toward new users as an exploration tour and getting started guide, with exercises at the end of each chapter.
For more advanced trainees it can be a desktop reference, and a collection of the base knowledge needed to proceed with system and network administration. This book contains many real life examples derived from the author's experience as a Linux system and network administrator, trainer and consultant. They hope these examples will help you to get a better understanding of the Linux system and that you feel encouraged to try out things on your own.

I've just installed Slackware 10.2. I understand there is an updating technique using rsync and upgradepkg ? But I have no idea what it is .. If there is anyone familiar with this method, please share

Also, I have yet another computer and I want to make a Slackware development workstation on it. But something occured to me [too bad it didn't before I installed Slack on this computer] .. should I install only a minimalistic system (base and whatnot) and then install the 3rd party stuff via packages from linuxpackages.net; slackware.it/pb; develia.org [more up2date packages] or should I install packages via cd and then fetch newer versions from the above mentioned sites and upgradepkg ? What are the pros/cons to the 2 methods ? And which one would you recommend ?

Ah yes .. and! I have a 40 GB hard disk .. I don't plan to install kde/gnome/openoffice/vmware. Should a 3 GB /usr be enough for a devel workstation ? What about /var and /tmp sizes ?

Run regularly (or with a subscription to the slackware-security ML) that would keep you up to date. I've elaborated on that in the past (checking filehashes, running as a cronjob etc.). I see no reason why you couldn't do the same, replacing the URL with the location of the -current repository to keep you running -current (should you so desire)

Quote:

Originally Posted by introuble

Also, I have yet another computer and I want to make a Slackware development workstation on it. But something occured to me [too bad it didn't before I installed Slack on this computer] .. should I install only a minimalistic system (base and whatnot) [...]

Hey, you've got 40GB, why not do a full install? My personal preference is to compile extra stuff from source, whenever feasable.

For a workstation, 2 partitions would do you - a / (with everything) and a /home, but be as elaborate as you like.

These are the sizes of current directories (note NOT partition size) on my laptop, which I'll freely admit has a lot of junk (unused junk at that) on it:

/tmp = about 300MB, /usr = about 2.2GB, /var = about 80MB

Truth is, "correct" (ha!) partition size would be dependant on the function of the machine (mail server = large /var for e.g.) and has been the subject of discussions both here and elsewhere on the net.

Upgradepkg checks to see what the current installed version of apache is, and upgrades it if appropriate. So if you don't have apache installed, it just spits an error to that effect and moves on to the next package. You can force upgradepkg to install new packages by adding the flag --install-new. Thus it becomes:

Hey, it's quick and dirty, I know, but it's simple. The downside is you're downloading patches for software not present on your system.

It's probably not the best way to stay up with -current either, on second thoughts.

Somebody stop me if I'm spouting BS here, but I though -current was not necessarily considered stable, more testing or development. I've never felt like I'm 'out of date' by only running stable releases (OK, with the odd thing from -current like firefox 1.5). Investigate some of the 3rd party package managers for Slackware - they've been the subject of numerous threads. I've never used one (installpkg, removepkg, upgradepkg and compile from source is my package management system ). Slackpkg is in the extra/ directory on CD2.